Trimming and salting clam strips, left, firms them up. Sandfleas at right were boiled. Freeze or fish ready, now.

Surf fishing for pompano, whiting and croakers for the most part is a baitfishing drill with surf rods set in sand spikes. Fresh Seafood

The top baits include shrimp, clam, crab and sand flea. Many anglers also use synthetic strips such as Berkley Gulp!, Fishgum and Fishbites, which come in a variety of colors, but natural baits still rule the roost for the most part. Pompano and whiting fans have long depended on live sand fleas (mole crabs), "blanched" sand fleas, clams and fresh shrimp.

Trouble with sand fleas is, they get scarce along many beaches once cold weather sets in. Most anglers do their flea raking in fall or late spring when temperatures moderate and the flea "colonies" are more common. The live fleas cannot be simply frozen for later use—this tends to make them brittle and they fall off the hook easily. The trick is to “cook" the fleas. That not only colors them but makes them more durable.

As you rake live fleas, carry your bounty in a bucket with drainage holes if possible. Once caught they will secrete urine, and if you let them sit in a bucket of water/urine for any length of time, that can soften them. They will live for hours as long as they are kept wet and drained.

Once at home, transfer them to a mesh chum bag. Rinse them a few times with a garden hose while you heat up a big pot of water. Once the water is near boiling, dunk the chum bag of fleas for 15 seconds or so. They will turn orange much in the way that shrimp or lobsters do. Once they color, remove them and rinse and cool them thoroughly with the hose water. Some anglers dunk the cooked fleas in ice water, but I never found that to be necessary. At this point place them in quart freezer bags, squeeze out the air, and freeze them. I have used a vacuum sealer with great results. If you make a big haul, you might have ample fleas for many trips.

Clams are terrific baits, but you cannot just buy a frozen bag at the bait shop, defrost it and fish. The meat is softer than it appears. Whole Atlantic surf clams (the common variety sold) are big, and you have to separate the cream-colored meat from the dark entrails. I buy a couple bags, empty the contents into a big bowl, and then cut the meat from the guts with kitchen shears. Cut the meat into quarter-sized pieces and discard the soft spongy parts which are too soft to stay on the hook.

The salt will toughen the meat within a couple hours to fish the same day.

Line the bottom of a plastic re-sealable food container with table salt, add a layer of the cut clam baits (about the size of a quarter) then cover with more salt, and repeat the process to fill the container. The salt will toughen the meat within a couple of hours to fish the same day. I freeze the containers and defrost one as needed to fish. I've discovered that I can refreeze them with little change in their toughness. FS

Published Florida Sportsman Magazine November 2022

The group at Wildfire Marine continue the 25 Bertram conversion by installing a new Armstrong bracket including dry fitting, sealing and bolting it on.

The guys at Rocky Point Boat Worx explain the intricacies of how to properly peform and inspect your motor during an outboard motor oil change.

Enjoy a fancy fish dinner curated by French Canadian pro spearfisher Valentine Thomas.

The crew at Two Rivers Boatworks discuss how they cerakote custom hardware for the Skimmer Skiff and discuss do's and don't of the process to avoid common mistakes.

Dale Kallaway at Two Rivers Boatworks explains how the idea of the custom Hydra-Stepp came to be and outlines what to expect in the design process and execution.

The crew at Wildfire Marine continue working on the 25 Bertram by installing multiple custom fiberglass additions and new seating to transform the layout of the boats interior.

The guys at Rocky Point Boat Worx show how to properly drain and replace lower unit oil and explain how to inspect and install new spark plugs.

The team at Rocky Point Boat Worx performs routine water pump replacement during a 100-Hour Service and offer tips to make the job of servicing your lower unit easier.

Royce Brooker at Two Rivers Boatworks explains how he installs a through-hull high-speed livewell pickup on the custom skiff.

Mike Carney does a walk through of the Jackson Coosa FD Kayak. He takes a look at all the features this boat has to offer.

In this Kayak Fishing Fun TV Special segment, Mike Carney shares the various accessories and gadgets he added to his kayak to make the ultimate Hobie Mirage Outback kayak build.

Mike Sternberg at Wildfire Marine tackles David Taylor's 25 Bertram conversion from inboard-outboard to an outboard transom bracket layout to best utilize the space available. He explains how he preps for this type of conversion by filling in the outdrive openings and explains how to reinforce the fiberglass transom with marine plywood, resin and fiberglass to be able to support an outboard engine bracket.

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